


Better Off

by peregrineMendicant



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Jealousy, M/M, Summer of Like, Warped Tour 2005, not a sad ending but not really a happy one either, so it's definitely petekey but it's also about the relationship between Gerard and Mikey, told from Gerard's point of view
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-11 21:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15324585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peregrineMendicant/pseuds/peregrineMendicant
Summary: Mikey has never been an assertive person. He is, by nature, docile and relatively adverse to confrontation. He doesn’t like telling people no.Pete, on the other hand, will go out of his way to rile up anyone and everyone, always, under any circumstances. His own priorities are always at the front of his mind. He doesn’t like telling people yes.Gerard is not surprised at all when he learns that they’re fucking.





	Better Off

Mikey has never been an assertive person. He is, by nature, docile and relatively adverse to confrontation. He doesn’t like telling people no.

Pete, on the other hand, will go out of his way to rile up anyone and everyone, always, under any circumstances. His own priorities are always at the front of his mind. He doesn’t like telling people yes.

Gerard is not surprised at all when he learns that they’re fucking.

“It’s like, y’know, opposites attract,” he says to Frank one night while they’re driving the van through somewhere in northern Missouri. “I just wish they would attract more quietly. Or subtly. Or not on the bunk directly above mine.” 

Frank grimaces and glances towards the back where the beds are. “Dude. I don’t want to hear about your brother dicking down Pete Wentz. Spare me the details. I’m just proud of Mikey for finally getting some. Poor dude’s been touring long enough, he deserves to live the high life.”

Gerard sighs. “Yeah, I guess. I just hope they don’t fuck each other up too bad. It’s not like either of them have stellar track records when it comes to getting over people.”

“You don’t have to get over someone if you don’t get into them in the first place,” says Frank. “It’s Warped. They both know it’s not gonna last.”

“Yeah,” Gerard sighs, “yeah. You’re right.” But he’s unconvinced.

***

Mikey starts spending less and less time on their tour bus and more and more time with Fall Out Boy. Gerard’s fine with it, really, but it does get annoying when Mikey begins consistently missing soundchecks. “Dude,” Gerard asks him one night. “What are you doing with Pete all the time?” They can’t be spending all of it having sex. There are only so many interesting things to do with dicks.

“Oh, you know. We talk. Walk around, sometimes. Other stuff. Pete shows me bad poetry,” Mikey tells him.

It’s not satisfying answer, but it sounds like the truth. Gerard just nods and turns away, letting Mikey walk off the bus. He's on his way to see Pete, probably. He slumps his way over to Frank, who’s reading on the couch.

“Have you considered,” Frank says as Gerard mashes his face into the side of his shoulder, “that you may be a tad jealous of Pete Wentz?” 

Gerard raises his head to squint at Frank. “Are you implying I want to bone my brother?”

“No. I’m implying that you’re used to having him around you all the time and you take it for granted, and now that he’s not around you’re struggling to accept how much you rely on him,” Frank says.

“Fuck you.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Yes. I’m not jealous. I just want to make sure he doesn’t get hurt,” Gerard mumbles.

Frank raises an eyebrow and turns a page of his book. “Whatever you say, boss man.”

***

Gerard goes to watch one of Fall Out Boy’s sets one day, before his own show. He has to admit they’re good. Patrick’s voice doesn’t sound like it should work with pop punk music, but it does. And Pete’s -- well, Pete’s energetic. He can see Mikey off by the side of the stage watching. Pete keeps giving him glances.

It’s not jealousy, thinks Gerard, because he doesn’t want them to stop whatever it is they’re doing. He just wants to minimize the consequences.

Pete and Mikey come up to him afterwards. “Hey dude,” says Pete. “You should come by our van sometime. Show us some of your art. Mikey’s always talking about it.”

Gerard focuses his gaze very deliberately on the dirt next to his shoes and does not make eye contact. “Maybe. I'll try to swing by.”

Pete nods. “Just let us know. Mikey’s there all the time.”

Gerard scoffs. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.” 

Pete flashes him a slightly less confident smile and shuffles away. Mikey stays and narrows his eyes at Gerard. 

“You know, you can talk to me if anything’s wrong,” he says.

Gerard stays focused on the dirt. “Yeah, don’t worry, I know where to find you.” Mikey nods and gives him a pat before walking away. Gerard watches him jog to catch up with Pete and tries to force back whatever emotion he feels rising in the back of his throat.

***

Gerard ambushes Frank again after the show that day when they get back to the van. “Mikey hates me.”

Frank groans. “Mikey doesn’t hate you.”

“He will soon. He doesn’t care anymore. Today he asked me if anything was wrong but I could tell he didn’t want to hear an answer.”

“Maybe,” says Frank, “you could talk to him about it.”

Gerard lets out a groan so loud he’s sure the guys from The Offspring can hear him from their van next door. “I can’t talk to him if he’s always off fucking Pete Wentz.”

Frank shrugs. “Maybe you could talk to both of them.”

Gerard groans again, louder this time. Frank ruffles his hair and walks towards the bathroom. “Don’t worry. You’ll figure it out. I believe in you. You’re a big boy.”

From the couch, Gerard lets out a final muffled groan.

***

He gets up the courage to talk to Pete during the final three weeks of Warped. He finds him after a show, when almost everyone else is gone, and drags him away from the stage. Pete sighs. “Is this the part where you ask what my intentions are with your brother?” he asks.

Gerard blinks. He hadn’t expected Pete to be so blunt. “Have you two talked about this?”

“We’ve talked about a lot of things,” says Pete, and Gerard feels the emotion come back. “He’s not sure why you’ve been acting so strange, but I have a few ideas.”

“What are they?”

“I think you feel like he’s abandoned you. He disagrees. He thinks you just don’t trust me.”

Gerard shrugs. “It’s more of the second one.”

“Really?” Pete asks. “Because I haven’t given you a single reason not to trust me. You, on the other hand, have been kind of an asshole.”

Gerard bristles. “I’m not an asshole. I just care about my brother.”

“Yeah,” says Pete. “So do I.”

They both stand silently for a moment. “This was a bad idea,” whispers Gerard. “I’ll leave you alone.” He turns to walk away.

“They’re to make him feel happy, by the way,” says Pete as Gerard starts walking.

“What?” he asks.

“My intentions. They’re to make Mikey feel happy. That’s been my goal all along. Not to steal him away from you. Not to - not to break his heart, or some shit like that. My intentions have always been to make him happy.”

***

“I am an asshole,” Gerard declares to Frank.

“I know,” he says. “I tell you that every day.”

“No. To Mikey. To Pete. I’m an asshole.”

Frank looks Gerard directly in the eyes. “I know. Why are you still talking to me? Go apologize to your brother.”

Gerard goes.

***

“I’m sorry,” says Gerard.

“I know you are. It’s okay,” Mikey replies.

“It’s just, you were never around. I missed you.”

“I’ll always be around. This, me and Pete? We only have a summer. I’m stuck with you for the rest of my life.”

“Thank God. What would I do without you?” says Gerard. Mikey looks him up and down.

“Get passive-aggressively jealous and spend a long time in denial about it, probably.”

“Oh, fuck you.” 

They both smile.

“Do you really trust him?” Gerard asks.

“Do I trust him? I’m not sure. I wouldn’t trust him with my glasses, probably. Or my bass. But I trust him not to break my heart,” says Mikey.

Gerard laughs. “He’s rubbing off on you. You could put that sentence in a LiveJournal entry.” 

Mikey rolls his eyes. “Fuck off.”

But Gerard can tell everything’s okay again.

***

Gerard spends most of the next three weeks on the Fall Out Boy bus, getting to know Patrick and Pete. The more he talks with Pete the more he understands his brother’s choices. He’s undeniably charismatic, and good-looking, albeit in an aggressively emo manner. He can be pretty funny, too, when he wants to be. 

Warped ends far too soon. My Chem is finishing packing up the van for the long drive back to New Jersey when Gerard stumbles upon Pete and Mikey having a conversation. He should, morally, let them say their goodbyes in peace but because they haven’t noticed him he decides to eavesdrop. For the sake of closure.

“Come visit us. In Chicago,” says Pete.

Mikey smiles. “Only if you come to New Jersey.”

Pete makes a face. They both laugh. Then they start kissing. Gerard watches until he gets uncomfortable, and then he goes back to moving gear. 

Pete stands and watches them drive away. Mikey keeps looking out the window until long after he’s out of view. That night, he volunteers to drive. Gerard wakes up around two and decides to keep him company. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” asks Mikey. 

Gerard nods. “How are you?” he asks in return.

“Good. I might ask Frank to switch out soon, though. I should probably sleep at least a little tonight.”

Gerard shakes his head. “No. I mean, how are you.” He reaches out and prods Mikey’s chest, right over his heart. Mikey flinches back a bit. 

“Fine. I told you I trusted him with my heart, I meant it. We’re gonna stay in touch.”

“Yeah. Doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to be sad,” says Gerard. 

Mikey smiles. “I know. I’m not. Swear I’m not.”

“Whatever you say.” 

After about thirty minutes of driving in silence, Gerard goes to the back of the van to wake up Frank. He switches out with Mikey, and they both go back to bed.

As he’s drifting off to sleep, he hears the quiet but unmistakable sound of his brother crying above him. He knows it well -- it’s the way Mikey cries when he’s trying not to let himself make any sound. 

“Hey,” whispers Gerard into the dark. “You know you can talk with me about it. If you want.” The sobs stop for a second, and are replaced by shaky breaths.

“Yeah. I know. We can. Just not - not right now,” Mikey says through his tears.

Gerard reaches a hand up to the top bunk, and Mikey takes it. He falls asleep that way, hand reached upwards, eyes closed, driving towards home.

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't thought about mychem for a while and i haven't written anything for a while either but inspiration grabbed me so i went with it. there's never a bad time for a summer of like story.
> 
> if you're out here reading petekey fanfic in 2018 you're a real one. god bless.
> 
> -peregrineMendicant


End file.
